


Until the rainstorm stops (I'll find you)

by jazzaiko



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dark, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Mention of human experimentation, Missing Persons, Mystery, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:49:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26498908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jazzaiko/pseuds/jazzaiko
Summary: A missing person, a strange pull, and a series of continuous thunderstorms and blackouts. They may seem unrelated but Chanyeol was going to find out.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 16
Kudos: 63
Collections: Shall we Chen? Fictional Fest First Round





	Until the rainstorm stops (I'll find you)

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt code: #SWC143**
> 
> **Author's Notes**  
>  The title is taken from Where The Sea Sleeps lyrics by DAY6 Even of Day. 
> 
> HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JONGDAE!!
> 
> Thank you my dear friends for being my beta and support, for fighting through this storm with me even when I was about to give up. Also thank you dear mods for hosting this fest and the opportunity.

It was a normal night where Chanyeol sat on his desk, working on the track on his laptop. The sky started pouring, pitter-patter sounds could be heard against the window. However, even with various tunes and beats filling his ears for hours, even when Chanyeol lied down on his bed and closed his eyes, the image of the black-haired man by the bridge never left his thoughts. 

He recalled the scene happening earlier when he did his usual evening jog in the park, passing lines of trees. Only a few red-orange leaves remained hanging on the branches. He saw fewer people than usual on his route, most were wrapped up in padded jackets. With winter approaching, maybe people used the cold as an excuse not to exercise. But not Chanyeol. Routine was routine. Besides, exercising was a good outlet for his abundance of energy. 

Suddenly, something pulled Chanyeol in a certain direction when he was crossing the street, making him look back. 

In his vision, there was a man leaning on the bridge balcony, gazing at the distance. His hair black like the raven’s feathers, wearing a jean jacket with its collar raised up, halfway covering his jawline. The golden light from the setting sun fell on his high cheekbones, his eyes, and defined features, he was mesmerizingly beautiful. 

It felt as if time had frozen around the two of them, taking Chanyeol's breath away, stopping him on his tracks. Seconds had passed, yet the pull was still there. Chanyeol continued staring, taking a few tentative steps forward. 

The man turned his head around and their eyes locked. Somehow, Chanyeol felt something warm like a fire ignite inside of him. 

Chanyeol also could sense emotions rushing from those intense eyes - affecting him, causing his eyes to water. Chanyeol's jaw dropped, he wanted to call, to reach out to him, to ask what was wrong, and if it was possible for him to lighten whatever was burdening him. He was a softie like that.

But in the end, no words came out. His phone suddenly rang, snapping him out of his trance. "Hello, Chanyeol. You're outside now right? Can you help me?"

"Oh, Kyungsoo. Yes, sure. What is it?"

"We ran out of sugar and eggs, can you buy some on your way back?"

When Chanyeol ended the call and glanced back at the balcony, the man from earlier was no longer there. Chanyeol backtracked, looking around the bridge and the park, but he couldn’t find him as if he disappeared into thin air. 

He hoped that man was alright.

  
  


\----

  
  


It was a normal evening where Chanyeol sat down for dinner. Safe, comfortable as it had always been, only with additional rain sounds and rumbling thunder in the background.

“–Chanyeol.”

“Sorry, what?” Chanyeol gave an apologetic smile, feeling sorry that he lost track until Kyungsoo had to nudge him. He was grateful for his housemate though, Kyungsoo was always able to ground him, anchor him back to reality.

“You alright? You have been spacing out.” 

Kyungsoo was not the only person who called him out today. Chanyeol managed to dodge the matter at work, using the cover of formality since this matter was rather private. But this was Kyungsoo, who had stayed with him for as long as he could remember. He would find out eventually anyway.

Since Chanyeol didn’t answer, Kyungsoo called out again. “Is it your deadline?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes followed him, studying him intently, even until Chanyeol took a seat across the table. Chanyeol shook his head. “No.. but..” 

“Don’t tell me…”

Chanyeol felt like a deer caught in the headlights. “Yeah, it’s that man.”

Still curious, Chanyeol tried looking for him earlier today, going back to the park again, checking the bridge, scouring the entire jogging track, even asking some passerby and a gardener. 

Nothing.

Kyungsoo hummed. “It has been… two days, right? Maybe he's a tourist. Someone who just visited on that day only.”

What Kyungsoo said did make sense. However, Chanyeol couldn’t help but ponder.

  
  


\---

  
  


“I found something today,” Chanyeol announced during their dinner the next day. 

Kyungsoo tilted his head in interest. “Oh, what is it?”

Just today on his way to work, Chanyeol saw the man again – on paper, with the word “Missing Person” printed above it. It was said that his name was Chen. Chanyeol finally had a name to match that beautiful man with cat-like lips. There were other details too. He was 25 years old, slightly older than Chanyeol. Height 173cm – Chen was a lot shorter than Chanyeol expected. He was last seen two days ago. There was contact information in case someone saw him.

“Chen?” Kyungsoo asked, propping his elbow on the table and resting his chin on it. “I know you often have new hobbies that you get so fixated on, but this is the first time I’ve seen you so into a person.” 

"I don’t know how to explain it, Soo.” Chanyeol rubbed his chin. _How to explain that strange pull? That something was clouding his mind?_ The more he tried to dig into his memories, the fuzzier things became.

“It’s more than just… curiosity. It feels as if I know him. But I don’t recall knowing any Chen." 

Kyungsoo hummed thoughtfully. “Did you ever ask your colleagues if they have seen him before? You worked with an entertainment company right…”

Chanyeol nodded. 

“If none of your colleagues or bosses are named Chen, maybe it was one of the people who came to audition or something.”

“I did ask, but no one recognized him.” Probably Chanyeol’s disappointment showed all too clearly on his face because Kyungsoo’s gaze morphed into concern. 

“Never mind, maybe I happened to see him while taking public transport, on the road, or something,” Chanyeol quickly added with that half-smile he usually wore, not wanting to make his housemate worried even more. It seemed to work. 

“Well, just... take care, alright?” 

“I will.”

However, it didn’t stop the many questions appearing in his mind. It was barely three minutes when he picked up Kyungsoo's call that day, how did Chen disappear so quickly? _Why were people looking for him? Why was he missing? Was there any reason?_

_And why did Chen feel so familiar for some reason?_

Chanyeol heard thunder roaring in the distance – another downpour. He noticed that more thunderstorms were happening lately. People were bothered by the sound of thunder, but not Chanyeol. The rumble of the thunder reminded him of something distant he couldn't recall, yet gave him a sense of comfort. He drifted to sleep that night more at peace than before.

  
  


\----

  
  


It was a peaceful morning. However, Chanyeol thought he was slowly going insane. 

Chanyeol woke up from his dream, which was usually pretty weird, like flashes. But by far, this was the weirdest. He saw Chen - his curvy lips upturned even more like a Cheshire grin. His eyes sparkled as if filled with stars, his cheeks stood out even more with the smile lines. A tiny dimple appeared on his left cheek, similar to Chanyeol's. 

_That was strange._ Why did Chen appear in his dreams? And how could his mind visualize such details? At that bridge, Chanyeol was too focused on Chen's eyes he barely noticed the lower part of his face, until Chanyeol saw his photo on the missing person ad.

Chanyeol sat on his bed, pushing his hair back, trying to pull himself together. 

People said overthinking might cause things to be carried over to dreams. Maybe that was what happened. Or probably, some unresolved needs. Thinking back to his dreams made him blush. Chanyeol admitted Chen was attractive. But of course, he won’t admit that to Kyungsoo.

  
  


\----

  
  


It was not the usual afternoon. The storm was raging outside.

“Sorry for crashing at your place today. I didn't expect the studio to blackout. Damn thunderstorms, striking the power generators. Usually, it doesn't rain this much during the changing of seasons,” Minkyu whined as he dried his hair with towels.

Chanyeol hummed when Minkyu sat beside him on the couch. “Maybe it's climate change.” 

A scoff and they both broke into laughs. Chanyeol smiled, he never liked negativity to linger.

"Anyway, I'm glad our house is unaffected by the power outage."

It was not rare for Minkyu to come over to Chanyeol’s house, after all, he was close with Minkyu who was both his mentor and partner. However, this might have been the first time they worked from Chanyeol's house. A song was due so they had to make do.

"Chanyeol-ah.”

“Hmm?” Chanyeol turned from his laptop, seeing Minkyu sipping a glass of soju in his hand.

“Has anyone ever told you you're very warm?” 

It wasn’t the first time he heard this. Like deja vu. When Chanyeol was about to answer, a flash of lightning illuminated the living room through the window, startling him. At the same time, a piece of memory appeared in his mind, saying the exact same words. It wasn’t in Minkyu’s voice, he couldn’t tell whose it was but it was endearing, bright and clear like a bell. Nevertheless, the memory warmed his heart.

What was actually inside his mind was a little too personal, so Chanyeol dodged Minkyu’s question. “Of course. I like talking to people.” 

Minkyu chuckled. “Well, that's true too, you are friendly and a warm person. But I'm talking about warmth. Body heat. As if your body is like a furnace, that kind of warmth.”

"Yeah, I guess I'm warm that way too," Chanyeol laughed, feeling that somehow, there was something definitely more than that. 

They fell silent, all attention went into listening to the demo. 

“Hmm, this is nice. I think we need to fine-tune a bit when mixing. But we will need the studio. Let's see if the power comes back tomorrow. If not, we will have to find another studio. Maybe I’ll check with Gaeko if his place is not affected by the power outage.”

“Thanks, hyung.”

  
  


\----

  
  


Some days have passed since then. A lot of things happened, bothering Chanyeol more and more. Once he reached home that evening, he couldn’t keep it to himself.

“Soo, I saw him again.”

Kyungsoo looked up from his rice bowl. “Oh, who?”

“Chen. But he disappeared again before I could even approach him.” Chanyeol frowned, nudging the meatball in his bowl with chopsticks and sighed. 

It first happened the day after Minkyu came over. Chanyeol noticed the flashes of lightning in the sky as he walked to his workplace. Another rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. The smell of ozone was thick in the air and had him pausing in his steps. _Had the air always been this electric?_

Regardless, all these signs meant there was a thunderstorm approaching. Chanyeol picked up his pace, not wanting to be caught in the rain on his way to the studio. Shoes rubbed against the zebra cross and heels clacked in faster rhythm around Chanyeol when the traffic light turned green.

Suddenly, he felt that pull again. 

When Chanyeol looked up, he caught a glimpse of the man with those same eyes, that lush black hair among the crowd scurrying to the opposite side. 

Chanyeol blinked. He turned his head, trying to find that man that looked like Chen. But he was already gone from his view as if swallowed by the crowd.

_Did I really see him?_

Chanyeol stood in the middle of the road dumbfounded, trying to grasp the situation, only to be startled by the beeping sound of the light counter. He quickly got himself off the road.

A thought passed in his mind. _Maybe, it was just my imagination._

But it happened again the next day and the day after. Chanyeol kept having random glimpses of someone who looked like Chen in the crowd. However, he was gone before Chanyeol even got the chance to call him.

“Maybe he was in a hurry,” Kyungsoo suggested.

“I don’t know.” Chanyeol groaned, frustrated. “Why does he keep appearing again and again if I can’t approach him? Am I hallucinating? Am I going crazy? Is he even real?”

Kyungsoo leaned against his chair, lifting his eyebrows with a judging look. “Well… when was the last time you slept for more than three hours?” 

Kyungsoo got him. Chanyeol usually went to sleep only if his eyes couldn’t take it anymore, sometimes he didn’t even sleep.

“Rest more. Maybe it’ll help.” Kyungsoo gave a small consoling smile. 

Chanyeol decided to do what his housemate suggested, but it wasn’t that easy. His mind kept running even though he had turned off his laptop and the lights. His bed felt cold and empty. 

After moments of tossing and turning, Chanyeol sat up and stared far through his window, at the night sky, the flashing lightning in the distance. He didn’t know how long he stayed like that until exhaustion eventually took over and he blacked out. 

  
  


\----

  
  


“Another blackout?”

Chanyeol overheard the conversation between two random strangers queueing behind him as he paid for his food. And they were right. Other than the occurring thunderstorms, there had been more occasions of blackouts happening, usually caused by lightning strikes. 

Then Chanyeol pushed the door to let himself out, the convenience store bell tinkled behind him. He immediately regretted it because the wind blew harshly against his coat. A flash of lightning flared in the sky, so bright it caused his surroundings to briefly bask in white light. It was followed by a blaring thunder, so loud it surprised Chanyeol and he screamed. 

Then everything went dark. 

Chanyeol blinked, taking a double-take at his surroundings. The sky was dark. The convenience store he just left, the shops along the road, even the neon signs and street lamps – everything that was powered by electricity in the area went out. 

But then, his ears caught a thud and a gasp from the alley right beside him, attracting his attention. Chanyeol couldn’t see that well in the dark, but he knew there was someone – most likely Chen because he could feel that strange pull again. 

The thud turned into quick and light footsteps. Following his hearing and the pull, he rushed after the footsteps. Chanyeol couldn’t miss him again. 

“Wait!”

The rhythm of the footsteps sped up. Before Chanyeol managed to catch up, the man in front of him suddenly collapsed face-first on the asphalt. Chanyeol thought he tripped and expected him to get up again and run. However, the man stayed slumped on the ground, unmoving. 

Panicked, Chanyeol rushed towards him to check. Thankfully the street lamps on this other block weren’t affected by the blackout, providing some light in this deserted alley. The light allowed Chanyeol to finally get a clear view of the mysterious person. 

The man turned out to be Chen. He was smaller than Chanyeol had thought, skinnier than the last time Chanyeol saw him, his cheeks hollow and cheekbones more pronounced on his small face. He still wore the same clothes, now dirtier, some parts were torn. His curled lips were very pale. There was almost no puff of air from his mouth – he was barely breathing. 

Chanyeol scanned his left and right if there were other people around who could help him. To both his relief and horror, there was no one else around. It would be up to Chanyeol to decide what to do next. 

The logical choice would be to leave Chen behind and not get involved. Because from this position it looked as if Chanyeol, being bigger and taller, was the one who chased Chen and caused him to pass out. 

But Chen looked so frail and fragile, tugging something in Chanyeol’s heart. He was also curious about that strange pull he felt whenever Chen was nearby. 

After some battle between his mind and heart, his heart won. 

The first thing Chanyeol did was try to wake him up. But when his hand came into contact, he hissed, because Chen’s body was freezing cold. His jean jacket must have not protected him from the cold weather well enough from the recent thunderstorms.

 _Was he still alive?_ Chanyeol rolled up the jacket sleeve, trying to find Chen’s pulse to make sure. But he froze upon seeing scars circling Chen's wrist. Some of them were deep and the shape looked as if his wrist was trapped in shackles for a long time. When he rolled the sleeve up further, there were track marks, puncture wounds, bruises, and other scars against his pale skin. This discovery rang an alarm in his mind. _Was Chen an escapee? A junkie? Or was he a victim of abuse?_ More and more questions raised in his mind, but he won’t be able to find out unless Chen was awake. 

However, Chen wasn’t responding even after Chanyeol shook his body and yelled in his ears. To make things worse, he didn’t know much about first-aid. But Chanyeol knew that it would be bad for the other to stay outside in the cold like this. He had to bring him inside, to somewhere warm. 

_But where to bring Chen?_ Chanyeol’s apartment was too far from here and it would be too conspicuous if he carried Chen all the way there. He gathered Chen’s body in his arms, unsurprised to find him so skinny and lightweight as he walked back to the studio. 

  
  


\----

  
  


“Chanyeol-ah!” Minkyu beamed when he opened the door. “Did you get the snacks… wait.” His eyes traveled down to see an unfamiliar person cradled in Chanyeol’s arms. 

Before Minkyu got the chance to accuse him of anything, Chanyeol quickly explained himself. “I found this person collapsed near our studio. I just have to help.”

Minkyu gawked for a while, his eyes fleeting back and forth between Chanyeol and Chen. “Oh well, I figured you would do something like this. Come in.” 

Slowly, Chanyeol lowered Chen on the couch. His body wasn’t as cold as before, probably because Chanyeol was holding him close as he carried him, sharing some of his body heat. But still, Chanyeol took off his scarf and put it around the other’s neck. He also put on some heat packs and blankets on Chen. He glanced at Chen one last time before going back to his laptop, silently praying that Chen would wake up soon. 

He was in the middle of mixing tracks when Chanyeol suddenly heard whimpers.

It was creepy because Minkyu and the other staff had gone home, leaving only him and Chen in the studio. Chanyeol refused to believe it was a ghost, so he checked on Chen. 

He found Chen stirring in his sleep, gasping and whimpering. His face twisted in pain, eyebrows almost joined in the middle of his forehead, eyelids fluttering, swimming in between consciousness and unconsciousness. He mumbled something that sounded like “Help…”, his voice so small and broken. Restless and afraid. 

Chanyeol quickly snapped out of his reverie, kneeled down beside the couch, and held Chen’s outstretched hand with his. Chen gripped him so tight until his hand turned white, not letting Chanyeol go.

With his other hand, Chanyeol caressed Chen’s hair, patting his head in an attempt to calm him. He doubted Chen could hear him but he tried anyway. “Calm down. Calm down. Relax. Breathe. Inhale–,” Chanyeol forced himself to take a deep breath, “–exhale,” he let it out. He repeated it over and over, murmuring soothingly, telling Chen things would be okay. Gradually, Chen’s breathing evened, his face more peaceful than before. His grip weakened, his hand lolled back to the couch. 

Chanyeol was dazed, wondering what caused Chen to suddenly panic like that all of a sudden. He needed answers. 

With Chen still unconscious, he couldn’t ask him directly. But Chanyeol remembered that he snapped a picture of the missing poster on his phone. Once he ensured that Chen wasn’t going to have another attack, he went back to his laptop, keying in the contact number on the search engine. The search result showed that it was a hospital. 

The gears in his mind started turning. If it was really a hospital, why did Chen run away? And why was he in such a bruised and scarred condition?

  
  


\----

  
  


It was already the afternoon when Chanyeol returned from lunch. When he opened the studio door, Chen was sitting up, blinking, and scanning his surroundings until his eyes met Chanyeol who was standing at the door. His chocolate brown eyes were pretty, yet filled with fear and wary, peering deep into Chanyeol’s soul. Both of his small hands went up in front of his chest, his body curling in as if trying to protect himself.

 _Who hurt you?_ It broke Chanyeol’s heart to see someone so beautiful and so scared. 

"Sorry, I don't mean to scare you. I don't want to hurt you." Chanyeol tried to defuse the tension, slowly approaching him with both hands in the air. "I’m Chanyeol." 

Chen stayed quiet, chewing on his lips. His eyes followed Chanyeol, studying him from top to bottom. His gaze was intense, making Chanyeol feel bare although he was covered in layers of clothes.

Soon Chen’s eyes traveled to the plastic bag in Chanyeol’s hand. The soft aroma of the food wafted from the plastic bag, filling the room. Seeing Chen’s unmoving eyes, and the bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed, Chanyeol couldn't help but smile. "Are you hungry?" he offered.

Chen still didn’t answer, but a loud rumbling voice could be heard. A shade of pink crept up his cheeks and he quickly covered his face with his tiny palms. Chen looked so cute like this. But Chanyeol had to hold himself back from cooing, Chen was a stranger after all. 

“Hey, it’s alright. This is for you.” Chanyeol stepped closer and offered the plastic bag with food towards Chen, waiting for him to take it. 

Chen eyed Chanyeol tentatively. It felt like forever but Chanyeol was willing to wait. Slowly, Chen extended his hand. Their palms briefly touched, sending sparks through Chanyeol's body. The feeling was foreign and fuzzy, something that he had never experienced before, but it made him feel something else too. Connected.

Chen must’ve also felt the same thing because he flinched and quickly pulled the food to his lap. Chen took a whiff of the food, his eyes fleeting back and forth between the container and Chanyeol as if weighing if he could trust the other or not. 

"It's really for you. I didn't put anything inside it, I'm not sure if you like spicy or not." Chanyeol gave Chen a warm grin, assuring him. 

Seems like it helped. Chen relaxed slightly before he decided to eat. A tiny smile could be seen on his face as he savored the food, taking Chanyeol’s breath away. Chen was so pretty. Chanyeol wished to see more of his happy face. 

He wanted to know more about Chen. Who he really was, where he came from, why he was announced missing when he was out here. 

But for now, he was content with this. Baby steps. 

  
  


\----

  
  


It took Chanyeol a lot of steps - until he managed to convince Chen to shower and change out of his old clothes (how many days he had worn that in the rainstorms, Chanyeol didn't want to know). 

Chanyeol should have thought to borrow Kyungsoo’s clothes or someone else's because Chen was practically drowning in Chanyeol's spare t-shirt and shorts. But Chen looked a little bit better with no more dirt and grime on his beautiful face, a little bit fuller and not as pale compared to when Chanyeol found him last night. 

He already knew the other would be wary of strangers, but he didn't expect Chen to be this anxious whenever Chanyeol was too close or their skin brushed against each other accidentally. Chanyeol wanted to comfort the other, especially when more of the scars on his arms and legs were exposed thanks to the short sleeves and pants - but he was not sure how to do it. 

Maybe Chen needed space. So Chanyeol went back to the table and busied himself with his track. 

After he played the music over and over again, he could hear a new voice. The voice was beautiful and bright, and it felt as if Chanyeol had heard it before. It sounded exactly like the voice in his mind and dreams. 

He turned around and saw Chen closing his eyes, swaying his body, and humming to the tune. When Chanyeol paused the song, Chen blinked his eyes open, startled on the sudden stop. Their eyes met. Chen’s eyes were filled with questions.

Chanyeol decided that this was a good moment to start a conversation, to possibly get Chen to open up. "Do you like the song?" 

Chen nodded eagerly, and for the first time since that meal, the corners of his lips curled upwards. 

"Do you like music? Singing?"

Once again, he nodded with a smile and sparkling eyes. 

"I make music," Chanyeol grinned, proceeded to share about his job, his passion in music, the studio owned by Minkyu and him. Chen listened attentively and at times reacted to what Chanyeol said - nodding, an "oh" or a little laugh. 

It was encouraging to find a common interest, the ice and initial tension breaking little by little. However, Chanyeol couldn't help but think of that voice in his dreams.

"You know," Chanyeol initiated. "I wonder if we’ve actually met before. Call me crazy, but I felt I have heard your voice before." 

Chen eyed him with confusion, both of his eyebrows tilted up. 

Chanyeol froze, not sure how to react. He tried explaining about the time he first saw Chen at the bridge, the flashes he had in his dreams, and the pull he felt whenever he was near Chen outside. 

"I don't know either," Chen murmured his answer. "I don't remember seeing you before that time at the bridge. But I don't know many things. My memory is fuzzy." 

"Do you need help?" Chanyeol offered. "Do you have any parents or guardians or anyone you know? I saw you on the missing poster, they must have missed you a lot." 

A look of surprise and panic suddenly crossed Chen's face. "Don't bring me back," he pleaded. Desperate, as if he didn't want to return to wherever place he was from.

Chanyeol smiled, trying to assure the other. "Alright. You can stay here for the time being."

  
  


\----

  
  


Chanyeol had said Chen could stay temporarily. But when he opened the studio door the next morning, there was no sight of Chen inside. The couch was empty, the blankets and the clothes Chanyeol had lent already folded neatly. 

He groaned in frustration. Just when he thought Chen had warmed up to him. Just when he thought they could start getting to know each other more. 

Exasperated, Chanyeol sank himself down the couch. There was no note, nothing. The studio appeared neat as it was when Chanyeol left it last night. There was no sign of burglary or kidnapping, which meant Chen left on his own accord. 

But Chanyeol couldn't understand the reason why. And somehow, it hurt. 

  
  


\----

  
  


It was the afternoon the next day. No rainstorm but cloudy. 

A rustle could be heard when the plastic bag met the counter. Chanyeol took it and thanked the convenience store staff. The bell tinkled behind him as the door slammed close. 

He wasn’t prepared to see what unfolded in front of his eyes.

Chen’s back was facing him, he was struggling to break his hand free from the vice grip of an unknown man with a tattoo. However, the stranger was stronger, he could overpower and drag the protesting Chen easily. And the stranger wasn’t the only one. Chanyeol spotted a total of three people - tall like him but bigger in size, dressed in the same sleek black suit uniform, and a car nearby.

In comparison to them, Chen was skinny, frail, and small. It was unbalanced, unfair. 

“Hey, stop it!” 

Everybody froze in their movement. Chen turned towards Chanyeol, looking at him over his shoulder with shock in his eyes. 

One of the strangers with the sunglasses shouted at Chanyeol. “Go mind your own business!” 

His rational mind said the exact same thing, but his heart couldn’t bear to leave Chen alone, not like this – surrounded by these men with questionable motives. 

“Well, I guess this is my business too,” Chanyeol braved himself, taking a few slow steps towards them. “Why are you after this man? This can be called bullying, you know. Big guys like you ganging up against one skinny boy.”

“What do you know, young man?” Another stranger with a piercing on his nose approached. Chanyeol could feel his heart thumping faster, but he couldn’t back down now. 

“I saw him here a few times –,” Chanyeol gestures at the frightened Chen still in Tattoo Man’s grip. “–and he never disturbs anyone, he doesn’t do anything wrong. I don’t know if you are from the police or whatnot, but why are you doing this?”

One of the men with piercing cleared his throat. “Do you know that the recent thunderstorms and blackouts were caused by this?" he explained, pointing towards Chen. "We're just saving him. He’s unstable and he needs to be treated.” 

The words got Chanyeol scrunching his face in confusion. Since the moment he met Chen that night, Chen didn’t appear very weird. He was definitely shy and probably carried some kind of emotional trauma, seeing how doubtful he was at first and how slow it took for him to open up. But Chanyeol had never thought of Chen as problematic or a troublemaker. And the cause of thunderstorms and blackouts on top of that? "You must be joking, right?" 

“I don’t need to be treated,” Chen whispered, Chanyeol barely heard it. 

The tattooed man shrugged. “Everyone also said that. Chen, come with us.”

“No!” Chen shouted. All of a sudden, a thunder rumbled above them in the grey sky. The man with the tattoo jolted in surprise, releasing his grip. Chanyeol swore he saw sparks coming from Chen’s hand when he backed off. Was it a taser?

“Don’t make us force you.” The man growled, his gaze darkened, sending shivers down Chanyeol's spine. 

Chen backed step by step warily. It was clear that Chen didn’t want to go with these men and they were giving Chanyeol the creeps.

A fight or flight situation. 

Chanyeol didn’t think he could fight off three big guys at once. 

So, flight. 

Chanyeol did the only thing he could think of: pulling Chen’s hand and dashing in the other direction, away from the big guys.

“Hey!”

They ran, and ran some more, as fast as they could. Passing by the main road, turning to the alleys to misdirect their chasers, breaking through the crowd, passing the shops. His feet were tired, but Chanyeol didn’t stop until he couldn’t hear the shouting men anymore. He slowed down when he could only hear his and Chen’s ragged breaths. 

“I guess we are far enough. Are you okay?” Chanyeol released his grip, feeling sorry that he took someone's hand without prior notice. But not before he noticed how tiny Chen's hand was, fully enveloped by his gigantic hand. It felt warm, it felt right. 

_Strange._

“Somewhat,” Chen answered, still panting. 

Some passersby around started to murmur and pointed at the sky. Curious, Chanyeol followed the direction. The sky was now pitch black, the sunlight growing dimmer by the moment, covered by the black moon. 

An eclipse? Chanyeol saw the news but didn’t realize it was happening today. He took out his phone, attempting to snap the phenomenon. When else would he be able to see an eclipse so clearly? 

As the moon grew closer to the sun, casting a ring of light around it, for a moment Chanyeol couldn’t hear anything but ringing and white noise. His hand was shaking, he suddenly felt so dizzy he had to close his eyes. The white noise faded, changing into whispers that eventually grew louder until he could make out the words.

“Chanyeol-ah!” A voice so familiar, warm, and bright was calling him. 

Everything flashed in his mind all of a sudden like a fast-forwarded movie, making his chest tight, heart ached.

He saw sparkly eyes. Long lashes. Curvy lips. A small dimple on someone’s cheek. A shy smile. He heard a burst of laughter. He felt a small hand peeking out from the sleeves – intertwined, warm, perfect in his hand. 

“Chanyeol-ah, come on!” 

He remembered the grass brushing against his feet. He and the other person ran together, hand in hand. There was warmth, lots of hugs and cuddles. He heard a hum of a distant melody that he didn’t know the title of, but it felt so nostalgic.

“You know how I feel about you, right?”

_I know. Lots of love and happiness._

Sparks. Fire. Thunder. A lot of fights and battles they fought together in victory. 

“No matter where it is, I’m here with you.”

_Thank you, my partner and love._

They were nine people. With one mission: to venture outside their planet. An exciting, promising new adventure.

“Shall we cross the sparkling galaxy together?”

 _Yes, of course._

He remembered the passionate kisses they shared. A thousand stars right outside their window.

“I wish this moment could last forever.”

_Me too. This is the best time of my life._

But there were attacks from the outside, causing errors, explosions, and screams in their ship.

“We will be fine.”

_I hope so. I'm afraid._

He remembered freefalling. Wind blowing so strongly, separating their joined hands, tearing them apart no matter how hard he tried.

“I’ll find you.”

_No, come back!_

Tears rolling down that person’s cheek. One last smile, growing smaller and farther.

“I promise.”

_No, please._

“I love you.”

A blur. And everything went dark.

Chanyeol blinked his eyes open and gasped, finding himself on the ground, heaving breaths. His eyes were wet, tears running down his face, sobbing uncontrollably because of a rush of emotions so strong he couldn’t keep inside.

He turned his head towards the smaller man behind him, gazing at him with those same sparkly eyes. Those same lips. Those same tears, rolling down his prominent cheekbones.

How could he forget? 

After all these years... looking for a job, settling in, going through day by day, working, producing, creating. Yearning for something to fill the hole in his heart that was always lingering, ever-present no matter the achievement he got, the laughter and smiles.

There’s only one thing he needed to make him whole again. The most important thing of all.

“Jongdae.”

Chen, no, Jongdae nodded, a smile forming on his face. "Chanyeol-ah." That same warm tone full of love.

Immediately Chanyeol rushed to him, putting his arms around his small frame, gathering him in his arms. Jongdae burrowed his face in the crook of his neck, making his shirt damp but Chanyeol didn't care. Instead, he held him tighter, planting a tender kiss on the crown of Jongdae's head, afraid that he would disappear. 

Chanyeol couldn’t bear to lose Jongdae ever again. 

“Finally, I found you.”

  
  


\----

  
  


It was an eventful evening, free from the usual rainstorm. Chanyeol would never forget the moment he brought Jongdae home to meet Kyungsoo. The two people he cared about, reunited in the safety of their home.

"I'm sure you have many questions," Kyungsoo started, studying both Chanyeol and Jongdae who were sitting together on the couch after they shower and changed.

Chanyeol began, "Did you remember Jongdae?" 

"Yes, I did. Also about you, your past, our true identity." 

Chanyeol’s eyes widened. “You knew all this time?” 

Kyungsoo gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I kept it from you. Your head injury after our ship crashed was fatal, causing memory loss.” Chanyeol remembered having to learn so many things when he left the hospital with Kyungsoo years ago. “Then the fact that our existence should not be here in the first place... I didn’t want to draw attention to us more than it had.”

Chanyeol didn't like having the truth hidden from him for so long, but he could understand the reason why Kyungsoo did it. "Then, how come I remembered when I saw the eclipse?" 

“Do you remember that prophecy? When the sun and moon meet again, when stars shine in the night sky and within your heart, like a miracle, let’s believe that is when we can meet again.” Kyungsoo proceeded to explain their origin and full prophecy the Oracle on their planet once said.

"When the sun and moon meet - this was hinting on an eclipse. I’ve been waiting for the eclipse, counting down the days to be exact." 

Chanyeol agreed, being a cosmic phenomenon, the eclipse held the power of the space - the same place they originally came from. 

"I was going to tell you about us, about the eclipse, and everything eventually... but you kept staying in the studio lately. And I didn't feel safe telling you this over the phone. I knew you were busy and I didn't want to disturb you."

In the past few days, Chanyeol was occupied with Jongdae. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Don't be," Kyungsoo understood. "I'm glad in the end you figured it out on your own. I just didn’t expect to find one of us so soon.” 

Kyungsoo glanced at Jongdae and asked, “What happened to you? How have you been? After our ship crashed on Earth, I could only find Chanyeol nearby.”

“You guys were lucky,” Jongdae answered. 

After a lot of patience and coaxing from both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, bit by bit Jongdae opened up about what happened two years ago after he landed on Earth - alone, injured, not remembering who he was. In moments of confusion, his power went out of control, alerting the people around. 

"Then I woke up in an unknown facility. They called me Chen. Wanted to study my powers.” He started shivering, his body curling inwards with his hands hugging his body. “They… kept me…chained. Did… things–” his voice wavered and he paused, hesitant with an unsteady breath.

Chanyeol pulled Jongdae closer into a tight hug. “Don’t say it.” He had seen enough – the signs of torture and human experimentation that left marks on Jongdae's body. It must have been overwhelming with painful memories. 

Jongdae's facade eventually cracked and he broke into tears. Chanyeol wished he could do more than give warm hugs and be by his side to take away his partner's pain. 

It took some moments for Jongdae to compose himself before he started talking again. “I thought I would never make it out alive.” 

“But you did.” Chanyeol kept stroking his back and petting his head, doing his best to calm Jongdae. "Why did you leave though?" 

“I was worried. What if they find me? You were so kind to me, I don't want to get you in trouble. When they almost caught me again, I was so scared." Jongdae took a pause to wipe his tears and gulped. "I'm sorry."

“You don't have to say sorry. Anyway, we are here together now. You did well, Jongdae.” 

“You’re right.” Jongdae looked up with teary eyes and a soft smile. "It's thanks to you too." 

"Don't mention it."

The moon shone against the black sky, reminding Chanyeol of his past - his origin as one of the nine guardians from EXO Planet. But they were all scattered. And they had to find the others. 

"When's the next eclipse?"

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> This prompt called out to me and I just had to claim it. I tried combining my initial ideas with Pathcode teasers and ElyXiOn VCR concepts. It got complicated. Honestly, I rewrote this many times and almost gave up on this story but I decided to push on. 
> 
> I may continue this story until the nine of them all gathered... or maybe not. 
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think of this fic in the comments :)


End file.
